This invention relates to golf clubs, and more particularly, to a golf club with a bent or curved shaft. Conventional golf club shafts are straight. A straight shaft has only one rotational axis. When a golf club impacts a golf ball, the clubhead and the shaft tend to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the shaft. Rotation of the clubhead decreases the accuracy of the shot.
The invention provides a golf club with a bent or curved shaft. The shaft includes a relative long butt portion and a relatively short tip portion which extends at an angle to the butt portion. The tip portion is attached to the hosel of the clubhead and extends forwardly and upwardly relative to the face of the clubhead. The butt portion extends away from the clubhead at an angle to a horizontal ground plane to establish the lie angle of the club.
The curved shaft has two axes, which increase the torsional stability of the clubhead. The axis of the tip extends forwardly from the face of the clubhead and therefore has a component which extends in the same direction as the impact force which is applied to the face by the golf ball. The tip portion therefore has less tendency to rotate about its axis and thereby reduces the twist or torque of the butt portion.
The angled tip portion also moves the axis of the butt portion forwardly relative to the center of gravity of the clubhead. It is therefore easier to rotate the clubface back to a square position during the golf swing.